• Friday 12th July 2013 IBC PELAGIC TRIP, WOLLONGONG, NSW, AUSTRALIA.

    Friday July 12th 2013 Illawarra Bird Club PELAGIC TRIP, WOLLONGONG, NSW, AUSTRALIA.
    Report prepared by: Lindsay E. Smith
    Departed: 07.30 hrs
    Return 11.30 hrs

    Sea conditions: Below 1.0 metres. Swell from the east tending southerly around 1 metre.

    Weather: Fine with scattered cloud

    Temperature range: 10 - 18 0 °C.

    Barometric pressure: 1024Hp steady
    Wind: North West 10knots

    Sea surface temperature: 18.0

    Current From the North at 1.5 knots

    Summary:

    Conditions at sea were quite comfortable. The sunny and mild weather made for a pleasant morning at sea. Migrating Hump-backed whales on the way out were an added attraction.

    Birds for the morning were typical of the winter visitors to our region with a variety of species being observed. See list below.

    As the previous Friday, Black-browed albatrosses offered an identification lesson for all and a challenge for some.A further challenge in identification of juvenile Black-browed type Albatrosses was the presence of two juvenile Grey-headed Albatrosses types (not confirmed) so similar are the juveniles of all three species that it may not be possible to separate them at sea.

    Thank you to all who supported the trip and helped out.
    I hope you enjoyed your introduction to our wonderful Seabirds.
    We hope to see you again soon

    Kind regards
    Lindsay Smith


    Bird list for Illawarra Birders (IBC)
    Pelagic Trip July 12th 2013

    Species code: Species name:
    005 Little Penguin, Eudyptula minor
    083 Fairy Prion, Pachyptila turtur
    068 Fluttering Shearwater, Puffinus gavia
    088 Black-browed Albatross, Thalassarche melanophrys
    859 Campbell Albatross, Thalassarche impavida
    090 Grey-headed albatross Thalassarche chrysostoma
    091 Shy Albatross, Thalassarche cauta
    864 Indian yellow-nosed Albatross, Thalassarche carteri
    104 Australasian Gannet, Morus serrator
    100 Little Pied Cormorant, Phalacrocorax melanoleucos
    099 Pied Cormorant, Phalacrocorax varius
    097 Little black Cormorant, Phalacrocorax sulcirostris
    096 Great Cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo
    106 Australian Pelican, Pelicanus conspicillatus
    980 Brown Skua, Catharacta skua
    981 Kelp Gull, Larus dominicanus
    125 Silver Gull, Larus novaehollandiae
    115 Crested Tern, Sterna bergii

    Mammals
    Bottle-nosed dolphin
    Hump-backed whale
    Fur Seal

    http://www.sossa-international.org

    Future Trips:
    All Pelagic Trips from NSW are operated at no profit to the organizers, being operated as group boat charters for the benefit of all who wish to join us. If you would like to join one of these trips please contact us as detailed below:


    To make a booking on the regular SOSSA Wollongong Pelagic Trips. Which departs on the 4th Saturday of each month. Contact: SOSSA: Phone 02 4272 4626 Email: sossa@tpg.com.au For further information in regards to other trips.